That is, if it doesn't auger in instead. Dubbed the “Seven Minutes Of Terror" by it's team, Curiosity's Martian landing is going to be one heck of a nail-biter, utilizing jettisoned heat shields, maneuvering rockets, a giant parachute and a self-sacrificing Sky Crane—all preprogrammed and computer-controlled. With a 14-minute lag in communications between the two planets, mission control on Earth won’t know immediately if they succeeded or have just given Mars a new 2.5 billion dollar crater.

The surface of Mars will hopefully witness the safe landing of the Mars Rover Curiosity today at the Gale Crater, when NASA attempts to land the largest rover ever on the surface of the Red Planet.